Wheel chock for aeroplanes



June l2, 1928. 1,673,608

W. WAIT, JR

WHEEL CHOCK FOR AEROPLANES Filed April 9, 1924 INVENTOR BY I Il lPatented June 12, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM WAIT, JR., OF GARD'EN CITY, NEW YORK, .'ASSIGNOR TO GURTISSAEROPLLNE MOTOR COMPANY, INC., A CORPORATION F NEW YORK.

WHEEL CHOCK FOR AEROPLANES.

Application led April 9, 1924. Serial No. 705,188.

My invention relates to wheel chocks for aeroplanes. l

The customary practice, in the o eration of an aeroplane, is to chockthe whee s of the landing gear as a preliminary step. Usually a woodenblock, a stone, or some similar obstruction is employed. Having chockedthe wheels, the motor is started and allowed to run anywhere from two toten minutes until thoroughly warmed up; the pilot or operator havingmeanwhile entered the machine. Everything` being satisfactory, either anattendant or the pilot himself, (if the pilotnecessitating that he climbout of and again into the machine), removes the chocks and throws it orthem to one side; the aeroplane thereupon proceeding upon its way.Because of the bulk, size and weight of the ordinary chock, no oneheretofore has seen it to carry it or them along with Ior within themachine.

Now it often happens during Hight, and more particularly during crosscountry ilying, that an enforced landing is required to be made. If,under such circumstances the motor is stopped (either intentionally orotherwise), in order to again proceed, it immediately becomes necessaryto re-chock the-wheels of the aeroplane, andpsince wheel chocks are notan item of aeroplane equipment, obviously a great deal of inconvenience,and often damage, is encountered in again getting under way. t

The object of the present invention is to avoid the inconveniences anddisadvantages above noted. Instead of utilizing a fixed chock ofwood `orother heavy material, a flexible chock, foldable when not in use, liht,compact and stron is. used. Prefera y it is so formed an constructed asto occupy, when folded, a minimum of space, and ma readily be carriedalong as an item of stan ard equipment for any and all types of landmachines. When used, the strip of flexible material is fastened at oneend to the aeroplane, its opposite endv being carried over the forwardperiphery of and under the landing gear wheel. To prevent slippage, thatpart or. portion of the flexible stri which engages the ground may be,if deslred, provided with one or more cleats. Moreover, if desired,suitable chock release mechanism o ble from a vpoint within the fuselageor gd; of the aeroplane, may be Other advantages of the invention willbe herelnafter pointed out.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters denote like orcorresponding parts.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an aeroplane showing the application ofthe chocks.

Fig. 2 1s a front elevation of a portion of the landmg gear of anaeroplane showing one wheel properly chocked, and

I Fig. 3 is a side elevation of that portion of the aeroplaneillustrated in Fig. 2.

In the embodiment of the invention selected for illustration anaeroplane 10 of more or less conventional type is shown. .Said aeroplaneincludes an upper supportlng surface 11, a lower supporting surface 12,a power plant 13, a propeller 14, and a landing gear 15, the latterbeing of the V- strut type including wheels 16, symmetrically arrangedat opposite sides of the fore` and aft axis of the machine. Within thefuselage or body of the aeroplane an operating wheel 17 is mounted.Preferably the wheel 17 is in convenient proximity to the pilots seat.Said wheel (see Fig. 3) is mounted on a shaft 18 journalled in one ofthe diaphragms of the fuselage, which shaft, on the opposite side of thediaphragm, carries a drum 19 over which operating cables 20- aretrained. Said cables 20, at a point directly beneath the drum 19, andwithin the fusela e, are carried over pulleys 21 to extend rlght andleft therefrom into the wings comprising the lower supporting surface12. The opposite ends ofthe cables 2O are fastened as at 22 to bolts 23spring pressed as at 24 and mounted in suitable guides 25 carried insidethe lower The arrangement of the springs 24 1s such that the bolts 23are at all times urged outwardly.

The ."leeel chocks r se, one for each wheel,4 are of identicaconstruction. Each com rises a flexible band or strip of canvas 26 w`ch, when the chocks are in use, extend 100 over the forward eriphery ofthe landing ear wheels 16 and] well therebeneath as in- 'cated.Throughout the ground engaging portion of each strip 26 one or moretransversely extending cleats are provided. Each |05 stri at itsopposite ends is releasably fastened b means of an e e-end connection 28to the lts 23 aforesai With the wheel chocks t1placed as indicated,

a clockwise rotation of e wheel 17, s1mu1- no taneously withdraws bothbolts 23 from the connection 28. Assuming at 'this moment that thepropeller 14 is furnishing sufcient forward thrust to propel the machinein a forward direction, obviously the flexible strips 26 will immediatelflatten out and thereafter permit the mac ine to move in a forwarddirection until entirely clear of the chocks. lWhen clear, the motor maythen be throttled down, the chocks picked up, folded and placed withinthe machine, after which the pilot may proceed on his way. In foldingthe chocks the flexible strips 26 may either be rolled or foldedflatwise to occupy a minimum of space.

While I have described my invention in detail in its present preferredembodiment, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art afterunderstanding my invention, that va` rious changes and modifications maybe made therein without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. Ialm in the appended claims to cover all such modifications and changes.

What is claimed is:

1.A A wheel chock for aeroplanes including a flexible strip, the freeend of which is carried rearwardly beneath the landing gear wheel andthe opposite end of which is carried upwardly and over the forwardperiphery of said wheel. together with means for fastening the upper endof said strip to the aeroplane at a point behind the transverse verticalplane of the axis of rotation of said wheel.

2. -A wheel chock for aeroplanes including a flexible stri adapted toextend over the forward perip er of and well beneath the landing gearwhee said strip throughout the ground engaging portion of its lengthbeing provided with one or more cleats.

3. A wheel chock for aeroplanes including a flexible strip adapted toextend over the forward periphery of and well beneath the landing gearwheel, together with means for fastening said strip, at one end, to theaeroplane, in combination with means carried by operable form withinaeroplane to release said fastening means and thru such release shed thewheel chock entirely clear of the aeroplane.

4. In combination, an aeroplane, separate chocks for the wheels of theaeroplane fastened at one end to the aeroplane wings, and means extendedinto the aeroplane wings and operable from within the aeroplane torelease the wheel chocks simultaneously.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

WILLIAM WAIT, J n.

